Guided Walking Pilgrimage Tour in Tokushima

July 2, 2025June 16, 2026

Walking Pilgrimage Tour in Tokushima Overview

Walk the traditional Henro route to the first 23 sacred sites of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage on this Guided Walking Pilgrimage Tour. A private guide and support vehicle allows you to dig into the rich meaning and symbolism of the Henro route without lugging around heavy baggage or stressing about reaching your inn before dark.

This route includes walks of 10-15 km per day, with options to shorten or extend them to suit adventurers of all ages and physical capacities.

The route features stays at inns and temple lodging along the pilgrimage trail. While these accommodation are often simple, they’re renowned for being places where people experience Shikoku’s famous hospitality, and for sumptuous home-cooked food. Staying at temples, you also have the opportunity to participate in unforgettable Buddhist rituals.

Tokushima’s pilgrimage trail features stretches of stunning natural beauty as well as walks through towns and cities. This variety is one of the charms of the pilgrimage. For those who want to focus on sections of natural beauty, check out our Shikoku Pilgrimage Hiking Tour: Henro-korogashi.

Walking Pilgrimage Tour in Tokushima Itinerary

STEP

Day 01 : Temples 1 to 6

You meet your guide at your accommodation at 8:00 and drive to Ryōzen-ji, Temple 1.

You walk between the following temples;
Temple 1, Ryōzen-ji
Temple 2, Gokuraku-ji
Temple 3, Konsen-ji
Temple 4, Dainichi-ji
Temple 5, Jizō-ji
Temple 6, Anraku-ji

Distance: 16.2 km
Up: 159 m
Down: 162 m

Your accommodation is at Anraku-ji.
After dinner, you can participate in Anraku-ji’s unique evening service.

Breakfast, Dinner

STEP

Day 02 : Temples 7 to 10

After breakfast, you walk to the following temples;

Temple 7, Jūraku-ji
Temple 8, Kumadani-ji
Temple 9, Hōrin-ji
Temple 10, Kirihata-ji

Distance: 12 km
Up: 238 m
Down: 9 m

From Kirihata-ji, you drive to your accommodation at a ryokan near Temple 11.

Breakfast, Dinner

STEP

Day 03 : Temple 11 to 12

After breakfast, you walk to the following temples:

Temple 11, Fujii-dera
Temple 12, Shōsan-ji

Distance: 11.6 km
Up: 1,124 m
Down: 429 m

After visiting Shōsan-ji, you drive to your accommodation at a ryokan in Kamiyama.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

STEP

Day 04 : Temple 13 to 17

After breakfast, you drive to Dainichi-ji, Temple 13, and walk to the following temples;

Temple 13, Dainichi-ji
Temple 14, Jōraku-ji
Temple 15, Awa Kokubun-ji
Temple 16, Kan’on-ji
Temple 17, Idō-ji

Distance: 8.1 km
Up: 43 m
Down: 60 m

Your accommodation is a pilgrim inn near Idō-ji.

Breakfast, Dinner

STEP

Day 05 : Temple 18 to 19

After breakfast, you drive to the foot of Mt. Bizan and walk to the following temples:

Temple 18, Onzan-ji
Temple 19, Tatsue-ji

Distance: 4.5 km
Up: 42 m
Down: 111 m

Your accommodation is at Tatsue-ji.

Breakfast, Dinner

STEP

Day 06 : Temple 20 to 22

After breakfast, you drive to the roadside station from which you begin your walk to the following temples:

Temple 20, Kakurin-ji
Temple 21, Tairyū-ji

Distance: 5.6 km
Up: 438 m
Down: 428

You take the stunning cable car ride down from Tairyū-ji and drive to Temple 23, Byōdō-ji.
Your accommodation is a pilgrim inn near Byōdō-ji.

Breakfast, Dinner

STEP

Day 07 : Temple 23

After breakfast, you drive to the coast, and begin your final walk to Temple 23, Yakuō-ji.

Distance: 9.8 km
Up: 228 m
Down: 230 m

From there you can choose to be driven either to accommodation in Tokushima City or, if you wish to continue your pilgrimage on your own, to Hiwasa.

Breakfast

FAQs

Are there vegetarian options?

Not really. Japanese cooking is based on fish stock, and the Japanese love their fish and meat. On this tour, you stay in traditional Japanese accommodation that is proud of its cuisine, especially the fish. For breakfast and dinner, it is possible to ask for ‘largely’ vegetarian food, but no guarantees are offered. You can generally find vegetarian options for lunch, but with limited choice.

What can I expect at inns and temple lodgings?

Pilgrim accommodations have historically been run with an eye on keeping a balance between low costs and making sure pilgrims are comfortable and well-fed. You’ll find they feature few frills; you will usually sleep on futons (comfortable mats on the floor) rather than beds, and share washrooms and bathing facilities with other guests. On the other hand, because pilgrims have long been considered to be stand-ins for the Buddhas themselves, inn owners truly go out of their way to provide nourishing local food and a restful atmosphere for weary travelers.

Will I have a private room?

Yes. The rooms in the pilgrimage accommodation are not shared.

What equipment do I need?

A good backpack:
The presence of a support vehicle on this course means you can travel confidently with a day pack and leave the heavy lifting to us.

Good shoes:
The pilgrimage trail, while ancient, currently follows paved roads for about 80% of its length, and our course is no exception. As such, we recommend shoes with enough support for walking on pavement and enough grip for walking on mountain trails.

Walking sticks:
Pilgrims traditionally carry a wooden staff (available for purchase at temples along the way, along with other pilgrim goods). Some may prefer to supplement or replace this with extendable hiking poles.

Rain gear:
Tokushima receives a moderate amount of rain during the walking season from February to November, with most rain falling in the summer months.

What’s your cancellation policy?

Our cancellation policy is as follows;

Cancelled more than 21 days prior to start: No charge
Cancelled between 20 and 8 days prior to start: 20% of the total fee
Cancelled between 7 days and 48 hours prior to start: 30% of the total fee
Cancelled between 48 and 24 hours prior to start: 40% of the total fee
Cancelled within 24 hours of start: 50% of the total fee
Cancelled on the day of start or failure to show: 100% of the total fee
No refunds will be given after the tour has commenced.

What are your payment terms?

When you book a tour, we ask for a 10% deposit, with the balance to be paid a month before the start of the tour. You can pay by credit card or bank transfer.